Little Flowers: May Tea and Badge Ceremony

Our Monsignor is so good; he's willing to be involved in Little Flowers Ceremonies.

Here, he places the sashes--with newly earned badges--on each of the girls of the Pink Roses group. (There are also Red Roses and Yellow Roses groups.)

Here, he gives each girl a rose.

My friends Jillian and Kristi are the masterminds behind all of these beautiful parties.

Back Row: Kristi, Miss A, Monsignor, Staci, Me, and Lindsay, Second Row: Madeleine, Miss A, Miss R, Miss M, Miss L, Morgan, and Miss R.

The room was beautifully decorated.  There were flowers, banners, cloth napkins, and a pink, purple, or white hat at the place of each girl, along with name cards and fancy tea dishes!  That's my friend Lindsay in the back.  If she doesn't have her own baby along with her, she'll borrow someone else's baby!  This time, she has Baby A, and has successfully put Baby A to sleep.  Lindsay loves babies.  I wish all of you could see her amazing reactions to her girlfriends' pregnancy announcements!  Her mother says she's always been that way.  Cheers, Lindsay!

Miss M and Miss R sat at the Piety table.

Miss E and Miss M sat at the Industry table.

Miss ?, Miss T, and Miss A sat at the Humility table.

Miss L, Miss R, Miss L, and Miss ? sat at the Obedience table.

Miss M, and Miss L sat at the Truthfulness table.

Every mother brought four dozen savory and four dozen sweet treats.  The combination was delicious!

Mothers Day

My Mothers Day weekend was wonderful.  It began Friday evening.  I joined several friends for supper at a nearby cafe, then headed to our diocesan retreat center for a Mother's Retreat.  This retreat was first given by my own pastor about 13 years ago, something I didn't know until recently.  He first began offering this retreat because nursing mothers couldn't attend the regular retreats (for various reasons).  This is a 24 hour retreat, each woman has her own room and is served four meals.  Friday night begins with Mass at 8:15 p.m. followed by quiet time.  It is a silent retreat.  Saturday morning begins with morning prayer, then breakfast, a talk also called a conference, adoration, benediction, mid-morning Mass, then more prayer, another conference, quiet time, and one more conference.  Lunch falls in there somewhere, and at supper, at 6:00, the silence is broken so that the women can visit with one another.  After supper, the retreat is over.  Nursing babies are welcome! 

Sunday, I was allowed to sleep in.  The children had made me gifts and cards at school and Jeremy picked out a beautiful matching earring and necklace set.  Best of all, I got to spend the entire day with my family and after noon Mass, Jeremy took our family out to lunch--my one request was not to have to worry about meals on Mothers Day--to one of my favorite restaurants, one which cooks their food over a wood fire and serves cinnamon Creme Brulee for dessert!  After naptime, we headed to a lake outside of town.  Two of Jeremy's sisters, their families, and Jeremy's parents were also there.  We let the kids splash and play in the water; it was hot and muggy but very windy at the lake, which negated the humidity.  It was a wonderful day.

In spite of not having swimsuits or towels and near-freezing water, the kids splashed around.

All children were instructed to go into the water no farther than when it reached their knees.

Morgan was SOAKED.

Jeremy and I are looking toward 10 years of married life; we celebrate next month!  (I know I look slightly pregnant in many of these recent pictures.  I am not pregnant, but my poor tummy will probably look that way for the rest of my life, the result of having five beautiful, healthy children.)

Splash, splash!  Since I was wearing Keens and clothes made out of polyester and nylon (thanks, Eddie Bauer), I was able to get in with the kids, splash all around, and dry off quickly.

::
On a more sobering note, while we were at the lake, rescue crews started to arrive from nearby towns, and then nearby cities. They began scouring the lake, looking for a missing 10 year old girl. Unfortunately, she had drowned. They found her body the following Friday. Please pray for the girl's mother, Guadalupe, as she deals with the loss of her daughter!  I can only imagine her heartache.
::

That was Noah ... I didn't really dunk him.

Madeleine

Madeleine, (cousin) Anderson, and Morgan

Planes flew over once while we were there, practicing formation.

Pokey Maria is not walking yet, but she's a really fast crawler!

Maria and me (can you believe that she was born with black hair?)

There was a tree perfect for climbing.

...and digging

:: How was your Mothers Day? ::

Amazing Grace

It's meant to be taken more seriously, but Amazing Grace is the song that my grandma starts singing to us when we trip, drop something, spill something, or do something clumsy.  When we're somewhere without Grandma and one of us (siblings) does something clumsy, another sibling will sing, or the clumsy person will simply say, "Don't sing."  We all know what it means.

This afternoon, I'm using the title for a different reason.  God's grace is indeed amazing.  Sometimes it's amazing in the most simplistic way, the way He meets our everyday needs by providing a job for my husband which provides shelter, food, clothing, and more.  Sometimes it's the generosity of a complete stranger that reminds me to see God in everyday things.

This week I found two cruets at Hobby Lobby that were perfect for a little boy to use as water and wine, should he want to pretend to celebrate Mass.  In an effort to complete this collection (without having to spend $128 on the Montessori set, which I would just LOVE to have done), I visited a Goodwill store and a Salvation Army nearby, collection brass things that would enable the boy to use his imagination and try his hand at pretending--reverently--to be a priest.  At supper, I asked Jeremy if he would mind if I visited the other three Goodwill stores to see if I could acquire a few more things for this purpose.  He said it would be fine, so I put Maria in her jammies, strapped her in, and headed toward the first store, then the second store, then to the third store.  At the third store, a woman stopped to admire Maria, played with her a little, and got her to smile and wave bye-bye.  I welcome interaction with strangers, and the woman seemed friendly.  We visited a little while, then parted ways so I could browse the housewares section.

After a few minutes, the woman approached me and said, "I have an odd question for you; please humor me.  How much does Maria weigh?"  Not thinking much of it, I said, "Over 23 pounds.  She's humongous!"  The woman smiled and said, "I have a case of diapers in the back of my car.  I bought them for my niece, but before I could give them to her, her daughter died of SIDS.  I don't know what to do with them.  They're the right size for Maria, I think 22-27 pounds.  I want to give them away.  Would you like to have them?"  I said that I would, expressed my gratitude, and as she asked, said that I would come get her before I left the store.

I checked out with the rest of my trinkets and she approached me at the register, followed me outdoors, and said, "it's just over here in the back of my car."  She opened the hatch and pulled out a CASE of Pampers, 176 diapers, just the size that Maria wore, and worth about $45--the amount I had spent buying these things for the boys to play Mass.  Did God pretty well hand me the things for the boys to celebrate Mass?  In a roundabout way, I think he did.  I thanked her profusely and gave her a hug.  She said I'd made her night ... I told her that she made mine!  I told her that these diapers would last for over a month.  She smiled.  God bless her!

The Twins Graduated!

Note the gold National Honors society cord on Sophie!

On Sunday, my not-so-baby brother and sister (yes, twins) graduated from high school!  I'm so proud of them.  Sophie graduated, a member of National Honors Society.  She's headed for a state college to study elementary education/special education.  Eli will join the Marines on August first.

Maddie hugs Sophie mid-graduation ceremony

Sophie and Eli were born when I was fifteen.  I cared for them, changed their diapers, fed them bottles, fed them baby food, helped them learn how to walk (Sophie before Eli because Eli had fractured his leg falling down the stairs when they were about a year old), taught them how to talk, gave them baths, taught Sophie how to sing "Chica-cherry-cola," drove them to daycare on my way to school, and made them the crown bearers for my senior prom, when they were three.  I left for college when they were three and a half.  On my visits home, I'd listen to them read, and Sophie would often ask me to listen to her count to 100.   When I was home, they were my little shadows.  When Jeremy and I married, they were our flower girl and ring bearer.  When Morgan was born a year later, Sophie--in all of her 9 year old baby-of-the-family glory--exclaimed over how cool it was to be a "young aunt."  They've grown up!  They finished grade school, junior high, learned to play instruments, marched in marching band, been nominated for homecoming king and queen, and played volleyball and basketball and football.

They do now with my children what I did with them: change diapers, babysit, entertain, read books, and help me with my mothering.  The tables have turned!  Now they've graduated.

Eli received his diploma

As each graduate's name was announced, the principal read their plans--college, what major, etc.--and when she got to Eli, she said simply, "Elias will be serving his country in the Marine Corps."  The crowd, who had been sitting up to that point, stood and applauded him.  He got a standing ovation.  I choked up and got goosebumps all over.  He deserves it.  The superintendent had him turn around to see what the crowd was doing and he seemed embarrassed.  It's good to have humility!

Eli turned to see his standing ovation

Congratulations, Sophie!

Well done, Sophie and Eli!

::

All photo credits go to my Dad!

P.S. This is what Maria did ... for the first 10 minutes of graduation.

Overheard

In an effort to get Noah, 6.5, to name the five senses in order to complete homework for kindergarten, we had the following conversation:

Me:  Noah, I want you to tell me what the five senses are.

Noah: (dubious look)

Me: Okay, smell is one of them.  If I set something in front of you on the table, you will smell it and that will help tell you what it is.

Noah: Or I would SEE it!

Me: Yes, and that would probably happen first.  But if I plugged your nose and covered your eyes, what else could you use to guess what's in front of you?

Noah: I could hear it.

Me:  Yes!

Noah: Someone could bring a tiger in the room if my eyes were closed. 

Me: Yes, and that would be noisy, but two more senses to name!  If I plugged your nose and covered your eyes and ears, how could you tell what was in front of you?

Noah: I'd touch it!

Me: So if I plugged your nose, covered your eyes and your ears, and tied your hands down, what could you do [to tell what's in front of you, on the table ... We were in the dining room; I was going for taste]. 

Noah: I would scream for my life.

For the Love of Wood!

After taking this room, removing its carpet, and moving its furniture out to the front room, we came up with this....

A beautiful dining room with an oak floor!  Encouraged by the success of this mission, I decided to....

...get my husband to agree to let me pull up the carpet in the front room ... mostly because it's disgusting and to top it off, Maria pooped on it this morning.  Look what I found underneath!  The carpet is now out!

Lectio Divina

While on retreat this weekend, a talk was given on Lectio Divina. My understanding of this is still in its infancy, but I wanted to share the idea with you in case you had not yet been taught this method of prayer, meditation, and contemplation.

Lectio Divina translates: Divine Reading. It refers to a way of reading scripture as monastics have done for centuries. Simply put, it is integrating prayer/contemplation/meditation with the reading of scripture.

Why didn't I think of this? I assumed that my reading had to be separate from my prayer and that my prayer had to be separate from my reading--even contemplation--and it hadn't occurred to me to integrate the two, even though I am beginning to learn to use a breviary to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

Taken directly from Fisheaters dot com:

Lectio Divina (pronounced "Lec-tsee-oh Di-vee-nah") means "Divine Reading" and refers specifically to a method of Scripture reading practiced by monastics since the beginning of the Church.

The early centrality of reading of Sacred Scripture, and then meditating and praying over its meaning, is evident in the 48th chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict (A.D. 480-453), a book written by the Great Saint to guide monastic life.

But it was an 11th c. Carthusian prior named Guigo ¹ who formalized Lectio Divina, describing the method in a letter written to a fellow religious. This letter, which has become known as Scala Paradisi -- the Stairway to Heaven -- describes a 4-runged ladder to Heaven, each rung being one of the four steps in his method of Bible reading. Those steps, and Guigo's brief descriptions of them, are:

• lectio (reading): "looking on Holy Scripture with all one's will and wit"
• meditatio (meditation): "a studious insearching with the mind to know what was before concealed through desiring proper skill"
• oratio (prayer): "a devout desiring of the heart to get what is good and avoid what is evil"
• contemplatio (contemplation): "the lifting up of the heart to God tasting somewhat of the heavenly sweetness and savour"

Through the practice of Lectio Divina by monastics in group settings, three other steps are sometimes added to the four above such that the steps become:

• statio (position)
• lectio (reading)
• meditatio (meditation)
• oratio (prayer)
• contemplatio (contemplation)
• collatio (discussion)
• actio (action)

The Steps in Detail

Statio
First, we arrange a place so it is restful, warm, and non-distracting. This may involve the lighting of candles, the burning of incense, the shutting of doors and drawing of curtains -- whatever makes one feel calm and at peace. Then we assume a bodily posture that is conducive to prayer and reading. We breathe slowly, focusing on the Holy Name of Jesus and nothing else, until we are relaxed and able to focus our attention solely on Scripture. If our minds wander, we gently bring our attention back to the Holy Name of Our Lord, breathing in and out rhythmically. Note that, unlike in Eastern prayer which seeks to empty oneself to be open to some great "Nothing", we are ever mindful of the One Almighty Triune and Transcendent God, and are trying to calm ourselves so that what He might reveal to us through His Word may more easily be perceived.

It is good if the place chosen for Lectio Divina is a comfortable area chosen just for this and other prayerful activities. The presence of relevant icons and other visual aids to meditation can be of great benefit. Now pray a prayer to the Holy Ghost, such as this one:

A Prayer Before the Reading of Any Part of the Holy Scripture

Come Holy Ghost, fill the hearts and minds of the faithful servants, and inflame them with the fire of Thy divine love.

Let us pray: O God, who by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, didst instruct the hearts of thy faithful servants; grant us in the same Spirit, to discern what is right, and enjoy His comfort forever, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who liveth and reigneth, one God, with Thee and the same Spirit, world without end. Amen.

Lectio
When we are relaxed and in a contemplative mode, we trace the Sign of the Cross on the book of Scripture, kiss the Cross we traced, and then open it to read. Some may want to focus on Scripture from that day's Propers. Others may want to read the Bible straight through, starting with Genesis. Others may want to focus only on the New Testament or the Psalms. We aren't trying to "accomplish a goal" of reading X amount; we read what is easily digested at that time. Whichever selection we choose, we read it with our minds, slowly, gently, coming to an understanding of the words themselves.

Having a solid orthodox Catholic commentary (pre-Vatican II commentary with Imprimatur or the rare, well-chosen post-Vatican II commentary), a nice Concordance, etc., in order to get a good grasp of the meaning of the actual words -- their historical cultural context, their etymologies, the Fathers' thoughts on the relevant Scripture, etc. -- is imperative. We should always approach Scripture with the mind of the Church, in the spirit of the Ethopian eunuch who asked Philip to guide him:

Acts 8:30-31
And Philip running thither, heard him reading the prophet Isaias. And he said: Thinkest thou that thou understandest what thou readest? Who said: And how can I, unless some man shew me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

We should always keep in mind Peter's admonition that "no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20) and that Scripture can be difficult to understand, something "which the unlearned and unstable wrest...to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).

If you come to a verse you don't understand, or that you understand in a way that is contrary to Catholic teaching, seek traditional Catholic commentary on it. Any apparent contradiction between Scripture and Catholic teaching is just that: apparent, and not real. As an example, even a simple verse such as one that refers to Mary's "firstborn" will be misunderstood if one is ignorant of Jewish law, as are many Protestants who believe that reference to a "firstborn" means there must be a "secondborn," and who then go on to deny Mary's virginity. Seek a Catholic commentary which would refer you, in this case, to the Old Testament law of the "firstborn" and will teach you what that word really means (see Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:14-15, Numbers 18:15 and research the term "pidyon ha-ben").

At any rate, in Lectio, we are reading for the literal sense of the words, trying to understand the reality the writer of the text intended to convey.

Meditatio
Now we meditate on what we have read, perhaps even reading it again, visualizing it and listening for the aspect of it that reveals the Divine Mysteries. We want the deeper, spiritual meanings of the words now, and read for its anagogocal (or "eschatalogical") sense and its typical (or "allegorical") sense -- i.e., we consider types and anti-types, shadows and symbolism in order to understand the deeper reality the Holy Ghost intends to convey by arranging nature and history as He did, thereby inspiring the writer of the text to write as he did.


Oratio
We ask God to for the grace to be changed by what we have read, to come more fully into being what He wants us to be, and to help us apply the tropological (or "moral") sense of the Scripture to our lives.


Contemplatio
We rest in gratitude for God and His Word.


Collatio
If we are engaging in Lectio Divina with others, we discuss what we've learned.


Actio
We live what we have learned.

Consider engaging in Lectio Divina with your family, perhaps on the Lord's Day each week (if not daily). Discuss Scripture together, encouraging even the littlest ones of your family to participate (the very small can draw pictures of the stories you are reading). Make the Bible a familar and integral part of their lives.).

High Five

I don't remember why Madeleine was in her first holy communion get-up while Morgan was dressed in a princess wedding dress, Maria is in a laundry basket, and the boys are still half in their jammies, but I thought it was humorous, so I took a picture.

Osama bin Laden and Other Thoughts

"I've never wished a man dead.  But I've read some obituaries with great pleasure."  (--attributed to Mark Twain)

The death of Osama bin Laden has got me thinking.  Should I be relieved, excited, scared, or disgusted?  Should Americans be throwing parties to celebrate?  Should we be rejoicing in the demise of another, albeit a terrorist and murderer? 

His death was a relief to me.  I thought through it this morning, while listening to broadcasts and morning-show-opinions.  First, I wondered whether we (Americans) should have killed him, or should we have imprisoned him?  Did we have the right to kill him?  His life did not belong to us but to God, although the blood of thousands of his victims cries out, all over the world.  I thought of that, then thought about what would have happened, had he been imprisoned.  He and his prison would have become a rallying point for terrorists.  If he were imprisoned here, it would render us susceptible to more terrorist attacks, international controversy, and attempts to free him.  It is also well known that prison doesn't stop terrorists from making and executing deathly plans.  After these things occurred to me, I came to the conclusion that it was indeed necessary to end his life.  It was necessary to kill him in order to protect America and many other nations.  Imprisonment wouldn't have rendered him impotent in the terrorist world.  I believe this.

But in spite of the fact that I think his death was necessary, I am nauseated by the excitement that radiates from America right now.  I believe that when we (America) deliberately put a person to death, we should do so with an appropriate amount of respect and contrition.  After all, we have just taken a life.  This is a very, very serious action. I heard that his body was buried at sea.  I am glad.  There need not be news broadcasts of his lifeless body, and unlike terrorist heathens, we will not drag it through the streets screaming for joy.  In the absence of a body to tout, people are celebrating in the streets, before the capitol, having a party.

(Aside: people might try to negate my thoughts by saying that I didn't lose anyone in 9/11, that I haven't lost a family member to military service, or that someone dear to me has never been murdered.  These people would be wrong on most counts.  I lost thousands of fellow Americans on 9/11, along with my own sense of homeland security.  I have one brother in the military, two veteran grandfathers, and a brother about to enter the Marines.  And I have lost a family member to murder.)

Let us show the world how America does it.  Let us show them that although we assassinated this terrorist, we are too dignified to celebrate his death.  Let us show the world that we are relieved that he is no longer a threat, and accept his death with a healthy dose of humility, for we are the ones that took his life, a life that--in spite of his potent terrorism--belonged to God alone.  Let God alone be his judge.

Madeleine's First Communion Retreat

Madeleine's school always hosts a day-long retreat for first communicants.  Parents are encouraged to help with the retreat.  Jeremy took the day off so I could go.  Here, Madeleine is making prayer beads.

There were stations that the children rotated between, in the morning.  One of the moms, Melissa, helped the children make bread in the church's kitchen.  Looking on is David, the boy with whom Madeleine was baptized.  That is the fun part of coming into a parish and staying in the parish (we've been here for nearly 9 years): we come to know one another very well.  I can say to many children, "I saw you baptized!"

Madeleine dusts her hands in preparation for kneading.

Oh, the joys of bread-making!

Speaking of knowing other parishioners well, it is also fun to enter a parish and watch our friends join over the years.  The woman to the left, Lisa, is a good friend of ours.  In fact, we met because she agreed to direct the choir for our wedding.  A year after we married, she married and her daughter Ana (in front of her) and Madeleine were born only three weeks apart.  They joined the parish shortly after we did.  It has been a blessing to grow our families together.

The last station (after prayer beads and bread) was bingo.

"JESUS" was actually bingo.  There were prizes!

We ate lunch in the prayer garden.  Monsignor came out and couldn't even make it up the pathway, so many children were running to hug him and talk to him, tell him about their day, and say, "Monsignor, you're the best!"

In the middle of it all is Sister Marie Caritas, the children's teacher.

Toward the end of the day, the children were invested (?) into the order of Carmel and each were given scapulars.

Here, Monsignor gives Madeleine her scapular.

I love it!  I love the matching ponytails and matching jumpers and now, matching scapulars!